Germany exhaust / noise law

[EdIsNotDead]

Hello all,

Can someone clarify the situation regarding aftermarket exhaust and penalties around noise in Germany. I hear that anything not standard or Euro5 means you'd get a heavy fine.

Or, I also hear that there's a certain decibels % above manufacturer's specifications that's tolerated?

How frequent are checks? We'll be doing the usual suspect: B500, Black Forest etc so fully expect there'll be police. Our exhaust are not antisocial shorties but they're not 100% EU compliant either.

Thanks for your help.

[black-k1]

I'm not sure on the exact details but I strongly suspect that if you don't take the piss no one will be interested. No one on the Old Gits has ever been stopped for noise even though many of the exhausts are at least a little beyond Euro specifications. (Though none are obnoxiously load!)

[bogie]

We are riding through Germany/Austria/Switzerland again this year. Last time we spent a week in Black Forest area and were all on bikes with aftermarket exhausts. We were never stopped by Police but we certainly saw a few parked up and they never bothered us.

I wouldn't worry about it. I think their laws are really to protect locals from Harleys with straight through pipes going through towns and villages on Sunday mornings

[Birky_41]

Just came back after 4 days there

All with full systems. Not cheap Chinese baked bean cans but still louder than stock akrapovic etc

No issues

[TimmyWimmyWoo]

I once got accompanied 10 miles to the nearest police station on my 1198 to have it sound tested. Granted, I was mostly pulled for an overtake on solid lines (I'd never usually do it but it was behind a tractor at the bottom of a series of switchbacks – they'd pulled loads of bikes over at the top for the same thing).

Got to the police station and they'd lost their noise meter, so I got away with a €98 fine for the overtake. They said if I'd had the baffles in my Termis it wouldn't have been an issue - my friend who had an E-stamped aftermarket exhaust who also did the overtake was only fined for the overtake.

This was in 2018 in Sonthofen.

I imagine if you're not contravening other laws they'd be quite lenient on the noise thing! They were also looking around my bike trying to find other illegal things (tyres etc). I told them I could understand German and they stopped nit-picking and ended up having some quite fun chats with them.

[Kawasicki]

I have a full Akrapovic system on my old ZRX 1100, with a db killer AND very important… a visible E number.

Just passed a TUV inspection. The bike is quiet and nobody cares. I spoke to another TUV inspector and he told me that once it is not loud and it has an E number nobody cares.

[RemaL]

I went in 2020 and put my Akro on without the baffle. No issues. but not that loud. just a little fruity

[Taff107]

Not saying you won't get pulled at all but unless it's stupid loud, I wouldnt worry about it.
I lived there for 9 yrs and never got pulled for having an aftermarket exhaust on.

[SteveKTMer]

EdIsNotDead said:

How frequent are checks? We'll be doing the usual suspect: B500, Black Forest etc so fully expect there'll be police. Our exhaust are not antisocial shorties but they're not 100% EU compliant either.

I went to that area and B500 with a friend a couple of years ago, the police were visible but we weren't stopped and we did follow a local for half an hour or so and didn't get stopped, despite speed.

Noise all depends on your attitude to the future of biking. If you're not that bothered if your fellow bikers in 10-15 years will be restricted in where they can go or how loud their bikes can be, then do as you please. If you'd like to continue riding a bike anywhere, then don't annoy the neighbours with loud exhausts. The locals have far greater say in these matters than tourists do. Not singling you out specifically, applies to every biker.

[black-k1]

SteveKTMer said:

I went to that area and B500 with a friend a couple of years ago, the police were visible but we weren't stopped and we did follow a local for half an hour or so and didn't get stopped, despite speed.

Noise all depends on your attitude to the future of biking. If you're not that bothered if your fellow bikers in 10-15 years will be restricted in where they can go or how loud their bikes can be, then do as you please. If you'd like to continue riding a bike anywhere, then don't annoy the neighbours with loud exhausts. The locals have far greater say in these matters than tourists do. Not singling you out specifically, applies to every biker.

Sums it up beautifully Steve. Sadly, people need to make a conscious decision as to whether they want to be considerate or a selfish bd!